Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to inductive electrical components, such as inductors or transformers.
Description of Related Art
Inductors and transformers are typically constructed with magnetic core materials, such as iron, nickel or ferrites. Magnetic cores allow higher inductances to be created in a smaller volume and to improve magnetic coupling between coils. A problem with most magnetic materials is that they are rigid and thus unable to mechanically deform significantly without permanent damage.
Flexible and stretchable electronics have been proposed. The first all-polymer transistor was developed in the early nineties. Since then, stretchable and deformable electronics have found a number of important applications such as medical monitoring, stretchable displays, and wearable computing. These components have been able to undergo mechanical strains of tens of percent.
One area that has been neglected, however, is the creation of high performance inductors able to undergo similar strains. One major drawback for conventional stretchable inductors is the inability to provide the high permeability core necessary to obtain high inductance densities and magnetic coupling.
Improvements in stretchable and deformable inductive electrical components would be useful.